logician

the word 'logician' is a relatively modern english formation, built upon the established noun 'logic'. 'logic' itself entered english in the late medieval period from old french 'logique', which derived from latin 'logica', a loan from greek 'logikē (tekhnē)', meaning 'the art of reasoning'. the greek term originates from 'logos', a word of immense semantic range in ancient greek, fundamentally meaning 'word, speech, reason, or principle'. the suffix '-ian', coming into english via latin and french, is a common agent-noun suffix denoting a person associated with a particular field. thus, a 'logician' is literally 'one concerned with the art of reason', a direct and transparent construction that connects the ancient greek concept of reasoned discourse to the modern specialist in the formal discipline of logic.

Structure: logic (reasoning) + ian (person specializing in) logic (from greek 'logikē (tekhnē)', meaning 'reasoning art'; the root is 'logos' meaning 'word, reason, discourse'), ian (a suffix of latin origin via french, used to form nouns meaning 'one who specializes in or is concerned with').